Pattern Index
The course

Chapter 6

The darted bodice

Every number below follows the size you pick.

The bodice is the fitted base of blouses, dresses and jackets for women. Its darts turn flat fabric into the shape of the bust and the back.

The frame is half the bust plus ease, split into back width, armhole and front width. The bust line sits halfway down the back length. A shoulder dart pointing at the bust point takes up the difference between the length over the bust and the length at the side.

What you need

MeasurementWhere the tape goesSize 38
BustRound the fullest part of the bust, level all round, under the arms. Wear the bra the garment will be worn with.88.0 cm
WaistRound the natural waist, where the body is narrowest, usually just above the navel.72.0 cm
NeckRound the base of the neck, over the prominent bone at the back and just above the collarbones at the front.36.6 cm
Back length (nape to waist)Down the centre back, from the prominent bone at the base of the neck to the waist. Tie a string round the waist to find it.40.6 cm
Front length (neck point to waist)From the side of the neck, over the bust point, straight down to the waist.45.0 cm
Across backAcross the shoulder blades, from where one arm meets the body to the other, about 10 cm below the nape, arms relaxed.34.3 cm
Shoulder lengthFrom the side of the neck to the shoulder point, the bone at the end of the shoulder.12.2 cm
Arm lengthFrom the shoulder point over a slightly bent elbow to the wrist bone.60.0 cm
BicepRound the fullest part of the upper arm, arm relaxed.28.0 cm
WristRound the wrist over the wrist bone.15.8 cm

Drafting, step by step

Each picture shows everything drawn so far; the new line of the step is in colour. The formulas show the names of the measurements first, then the numbers for size 38.

  1. Back

    Step 1

    The frame

    (Bust + bust ease) ÷ 2
    = (88.0 + 8.0) ÷ 2 = 48.0 cm

    The frame is half the finished bust wide: the back on one side, the front on the other, each cut on the fold. The back is drawn first from the centre back.

  2. 2

    Step 1–2

    Waist line

    Back length (nape to waist) = 40.6

    The back waist length runs from the nape to the waist down the centre back.

  3. 23

    Step 1–3

    Bust line

    Back length (nape to waist) ÷ 2
    = 40.6 ÷ 2 = 20.3 cm

    The bust line, the widest part of the bodice, sits halfway down the back. The bottom of the armhole will touch it.

  4. 234

    Step 1–4

    Shoulder blade line

    Back length (nape to waist) ÷ 3
    = 40.6 ÷ 3 = 13.5 cm

    Across the shoulder blades the back is at its widest above the bust line. The armhole turns here.

  5. 2345

    Step 1–5

    Back width

    Across back ÷ 2 + 1.5
    = 34.3 ÷ 2 + 1.5 = 18.7 cm

    The back is as wide as half the across-back measurement plus a little room for the arms to reach forward.

  6. 23456

    Step 6

    Back neck

    back width ÷ 2 − 1 + neck widening
    = 18.7 ÷ 2 − 1 + 0.0 = 8.3 cm

    The neck point is raised 2.5 cm above the nape so the neckline climbs over the top of the shoulder. A small dart in the back neckline takes up the round of the upper back.

  7. 234567

    Step 6–7

    Back shoulder

    Shoulder length + shoulder ease
    = 12.2 + 0.0 = 12.2 cm

    The shoulder slopes down 2.5 cm by the back width; its length is the body shoulder.

  8. 2345678

    Step 8

    Armhole sector

    (Bust + bust ease) ÷ 2 − back width − front width
    = (88.0 + 8.0) ÷ 2 − 18.7 − 19.7 = 9.7 cm

    The armhole is as wide as the frame left between the back and the front widths. The side seam starts in its middle on the bust line.

  9. 23456789

    Step 9

    Waist shaping

    ((Bust + bust ease) − (Waist + waist ease)) ÷ 4
    = ((88.0 + 8.0) − (72.0 + 4.0)) ÷ 4 = 5.0 cm

    Each quarter of the body loses this much from bust to waist. A little more than half goes into the side seam, the rest into a dart below the bust line.

  10. 23456789

    Step 10

    Outline of the back

    The back: neckline with its small dart, shoulder, armhole, side seam and waist, with the waist dart halfway between the bust points.

  11. Front

    Step 10

    Front length

    Front length (neck point to waist) = 45.0

    The front is drawn from the centre front, longer than the back because it goes over the bust.

  12. 11

    Step 11

    Front neck

    back width ÷ 3
    = 18.7 ÷ 3 = 6.2 cm

    The front neck is a quarter circle round the top corner of the frame.

  13. 1112

    Step 12

    Bust point

    (Bust × 0.2 + 0.6) ÷ 2
    = (88.0 × 0.2 + 0.6) ÷ 2 = 9.1 cm

    The bust point sits on the bust line, half the bust span from the centre front. Every bust dart points at it.

  14. 1112

    Step 13

    Bust dart

    bust dart width = 6.0

    The first part of the shoulder runs from the neck towards a point 6 cm below the frame top at the side. The dart opens here and is turned round the bust point; the second part of the shoulder makes up the back shoulder length.

  15. 111214

    Step 14

    Front armhole

    back width + 1
    = 18.7 + 1 = 19.7 cm

    The front width is 1 cm more than the back width. The armhole curves in to it and down to the side point on the bust line.

  16. 111214

    Step 16

    Outline of the front

    The front: neckline, shoulder with the bust dart, armhole, side seam and waist with its dart.

  17. 12

    Sleeve

    Step 1–2

    Cap height

    armhole back + front × cap ratio
    = 40.5 × 0.300 = 12.1 cm

    The cap height is a share of the armhole length. A low cap makes a wide sleeve the arm can lift in, as in jersey and sportswear; a high cap makes a narrow sleeve that hangs smoothly, as in tailoring.

  18. 1234

    Step 3–4

    Sleeve width

    cap curve = armhole + cap ease
    42.0 = 40.5 + 1.5

    The width is not set directly: it is found so that the cap curve comes out exactly as long as the armhole plus the cap ease. Then the sleeve sews into the body without puckers, and the ease is worked into the top of the shoulder.

  19. 1234

    Step 3–1–4

    Sleeve cap

    front half flatter, back half fuller: 42.0 cm

    The cap rises from the underarm points to the top. The back half is fuller because the back of the arm is rounder; the notches match the notches on the armholes.

  20. 12345

    Step 1–5

    Sleeve length

    sleeve length = 60.0

    Sleeve length is measured from the top of the cap along the arm. A dropped shoulder shortens it by the same amount, because the shoulder already reaches down the arm.

  21. 1234567

    Step 6–7

    Hem and underarm seams

    hem width = 22.8

    The hem width is set out either side of the centre line and joined to the underarm points. The sleeve narrows from the bicep to the wrist like the arm.

  22. 1234567

    Step 22

    Outline of the sleeve

    The sleeve sewing lines. Match the single notch to the front armhole and the double notch to the back.

The finished pieces

BACKFRONTSLEEVE
Darted bodice, size 38. Back (1× on fold), Front (1× on fold), Sleeve (2×). Seam allowance is added afterwards.

Sewing it

  1. Cut and mark. Cut every piece with the grain arrow parallel to the selvedge. Transfer the notches, the dart points and the marks with tailor's chalk or a short snip into the seam allowance.
  2. Darts. Sew each dart from the wide end to the point, the last stitches right on the fold. Tie the threads at the point, do not backstitch. Press waist darts towards the centre, bust darts downwards.
  3. Shoulders. Sew the shoulder seams, the back eased onto the front. Press open.
  4. Neckline. Finish the neckline with a facing or bias binding.
  5. Sleeves. Ease the sleeve cap with two rows of long stitches and sew the sleeve into the open armhole flat, matching the notches.
  6. Side seams. Sew the side seams and the sleeve underarm seams in one line, from the hem to the sleeve end.
  7. Hem. Turn up the hem twice and stitch, or catch it by hand.
Draft it to your measurementsWatch it drawn in the editorPractise in the course